Maverick Vinales completed an excellent Qatar Grand Prix, especially in the second part of Sunday’s race, managing to lap at the same pace as the leaders to climb five positions and cross the finish line in fourth place, just 80 thousandths from the podium, closed by Luca Marini.
“Okay, but I want to win, I want to win a race,” said a frustrated Maverick Viñales at the end of Sunday in Lusail. “I don’t have much to say, or more than anything, when I get to ride it doesn’t matter what bike it is, I do things like that,” he explained.
“The key and what Aprilia needs to improve is Saturday qualifying, even the starts. For this weekend I have drawn up a list of things that I would like to improve. Number one, the start. Number two, understanding the balance of the bike, the position cornering. Number three, a little more power, I like the rest of the bike,” he added.
Naturally, Maverick was asked to clarify what he meant by bike balance: “There are moments in which I don’t have enough grip at the front and I have much more at the rear, and I can’t turn. Then in the time attack the the situation gets worse. But once we have identified all this, we can change the bike a little and things will improve.”
Photo by: Aprilia Racing
Maverick Vinales, Aprilia Racing Team
Despite the frustration of not having found the much desired victory, Maverick denied a lack of motivation: “I always come out very motivated, even eleventh place in Sepang didn’t take away my motivation, because I found an answer and a way to work, which makes you feel calm and know that the solutions will arrive in the next race”.
“We have to continue like this, because it’s the way to grow. Three years ago Aprilia had only one podium to its credit, last year Aleix had the opportunity to fight. This year we had many opportunities to win, but I fell or was touched. Ducati has been there for seven years and Aprilia for three, we must continue to grow and, above all, all be united and give our best. I feel really confident that I can do it.”
While Aleix Espargaró stated that the Michelin tires are not up to the championship level, Marc Márquez said the opposite, that is, that they are so good that when one goes a little wrong it is very noticeable: “Every year we beat the track record in all the circuits, which means we are evolving. Sometimes it happens that a tire overheats and doesn’t work, but that’s the team’s job, to identify the ones that aren’t good and use them during testing.”
“Then, in the race, it happens that you have a tire that doesn’t work, but this can happen to anyone. Today it’s clear that Jorge didn’t have the best tire on the grid, but that’s how it is. Nothing can be done about it”, although he criticized the fact that the championship was at stake. “There are many variables that can influence, not only the tyres, the brakes, the suspension, this is a world of its own”, he the Aprilia rider concluded.
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